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The Emperor's New Cloak (episode)
Grand Nagus Zek is kidnapped by the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance while on a business trip into the "mirror universe." Summary Teaser We find Odo and Quark conversing in Quark's bar as they observe Dr. Bashir and Ezri. It seems Quark is convinced that Ezri is in love with him, although Bashir – and Ezri as well, according to Odo – is not aware of it. Quark's obsession is interrupted when Rom runs in and anxiously informs him that Grand Nagus Zek has gone missing while on a business trip. However, Quark is not worried, assuring Rom the Nagus probably stopped on Risa. By the time he gets rid of Rom, Bashir and Dax have left together, much to Odo's delight. Quark goes to his quarters to pray (and pay) to the Blessed Exchequer for Bashir to be sent off Deep Space 9 for a few months. He slips the latinum slips into the shrine's lobe in the hope that Ezri will fall for him. Shortly thereafter, the door chime rings; it is Ezri Tigan, dressed in black and not acting at all like Dax. She assertively forces her way into the room, but as Quark learns in a recorded message from Zek, this is not a Vulcan Love Slave role play but the mirror universe Ezri. In the message, Zek reveals that he is in the hands of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in the alternate universe. Apparently the Nagus is being held ransom, and Quark has three days to secure a cloaking device for the Alliance or Zek will die. Act One As Quark and Rom exit the airlock, they appear to be carrying something extremely heavy, although we see only faint occasional glimmer of light from the cloaked cloaking device they have stolen from the ''Rotarran''. They slowly approach the habitat ring when they hear someone coming and put the cloaking device down. Captain Sisko and General Martok walk by, but they do a double-take as they realize Quark and Rom are idly staring at a bulkhead. Although the Ferengi give no particular reason and Sisko is confused as to what they are doing, Martok grows impatient as they do not have time for such things. Once the soldiers are gone, Quark manages to find the invisible device but burns his finger on an induction coil. They bring the cloaking device to Ezri in cargo bay 16, where she has apparently set up the interdimensional transporter needed to travel to the alternate universe. As she gets it ready, Rom observes the striking resemblance to the Ezri he knows. However, before she leaves, Quark decides that he and Rom need to go with her to ensure they get Zek back. Ezri does not think doing so is a good idea, but as Martok angrily enters the cargo bay and comes after them, the mirror universe looks a lot more appealing. The three of them transport across with the cloaking device. Once in the alternate universe, Rom observes how normal the cargo bay on that side looks. The similarities soon end when the Vic Fontaine backs into the room, a phaser in each hand, followed closely by Bashir and a pair of Terrans. Fontaine, who does not know what a hologram is, is a renegade of some sort, and guns blazing, he is shot dead in front of Quark, Rom, and Ezri. Act Two With Fontaine dead, the Terrans turn their attention to the newly-arrived trio and the hostile emotions make it clear that Bashir and Ezri know one another. However, contrary to Rom's expectations, the Terrans hold them in no higher regard. They take the Ferengi and the Trill to the brig. Bashir and "Smiley" O'Brien visit them in their holding cell, and we learn that Ezri has sided with the Alliance against the Terran Rebellion, for money rather than out of loyalty. Bashir is eager to execute the Ferengi, but O'Brien observes that Quark and Rom's Sisko would not want them in the mirror universe and suggests sending them back where they came from (sans cloaking device). Quark is determined to get the Nagus back though, so they give him until morning to decide. Ezri suggests they take the offer and leave, but the Ferengi firmly refuse despite the hopeless odds. Aboard the Alliance's ''Negh'Var''-class flagship, Kira gently massages Zek's lobes, intent on securing her freedom. Zek has promised Quark and Rom will deliver the cloaking device, and so long as the Intendant believes him, she appears dedicated to pleasing the older Ferengi. That night Brunt breaks into DS9's brig to rescue Ezri. Unlike the "normal" Brunt, he is incredibly kind and compassionate. He even offers to take Quark and Rom along, offering them food and water. Act Three During the ride in Brunt's shuttle to meet the Alliance's Regent, Rom eagerly feasts on fried tube grubs, but becomes perplexed by the paradoxical logic of the mirror universe. He and Ezri head to bed, leaving Quark and Brunt alone. Brunt then confesses he hates the Alliance, but helps them because Ezri is his closest friend – although he hints that she is "very particular" about men, when Quark inquires about the nature of their relationship. Regent Worf, meanwhile, has discovered the sinus-clearing wonder of beetle snuff and eagerly awaits the cloaking device. His pet Garak is eager to kill Intendant Kira, but Worf remains firm in making his own decisions. When Quark, Rom, Ezri and Brunt deliver the cloaking device, Kira comes out to seductively greet Ezri and the Regent reneges on his deal with the Ferengi before releasing the Intendant for coming up with the idea to acquire the cloaking device. Quark and Rom are then imprisoned. Act Four As Zek reveals that he stole the interdimensional transporter schematics from Rom's PADD and came to the mirror universe to find new business opportunities, Brunt feels guilty about what he and Ezri have done to the innocent Ferengi. He attempts to convince Ezri to ask the Intendant to get them out of prison, but Kira enters as he is speaking and notes that she does not want to waste a favor from the regent on them. She proceeds to kill Brunt, claiming she felt he was going to betray her and holding Ezri close. On the bridge, an officer announces that long-range sensors have detected the ''Defiant'', so Regent Worf decides to test his new cloaking device. However, it is not yet operational, so he sends Ezri to fetch Rom. Quark claims they have no reason to help someone who has betrayed them, but Rom and Zek are eager to do whatever is necessary, as they believe Rom's help may allow them to survive. Despite her prior treachery, Ezri's motives appear genuine. Rom grows impatient with Garak's inability to serve as his assistant, growing defiant when Garak threatens him; he knows Garak needs him more than he needs Garak. Meanwhile, Kira gets on Worf's good side in order to re-gain control of Terok Nor rather than the Alliance ships destroying it. Once Rom installs the device and the ship cloaks successfully, the satisfied regent allows Garak to "get rid of" the Ferengi as he sees fit. Ever a sadist, Garak relishes the thought, intending to test out a deadly and painful virus on them. Act Five As usual, Quark uses his Ferengi cunning to get him out of a tight spot; when Garak enters the brig with the virus, Quark and the others slyly try to convince him that they have valuable information he should want to know and negatively compare him to "their" Garak. The Terrans meanwhile begin to suspect something is wrong, knowing they should have caught the Ferengi ship by now. Smiley wonders if the regent has the cloaking device already, but Bashir is sure that, even if he does, it could not be functional yet. However, the regent's ship is right behind them, matching the clueless Humans' warp speed in anticipation. Right when the regent's ship decloaks and tries to fire on the Defiant, its power grid shuts down, having been sabotaged by Rom. The Ferengi (and Zek's silent Hupyrian servant, Maihar'du) jump Garak when the force field shuts down. Though he manages to overpower them and is ready to inject Quark with the virus, Ezri steps in and injects Garak instead. At the airlock, Ezri and company find Kira, and both Ezri and Kira are armed. Neither appears to trust the other, but they both lower their phasers slowly. However, Ezri decides not to go with Kira, having developed a conscience. She lets the Intendant go, as she owes her that much. The Terrans return to Terok Nor triumphantly with the Regent in their custody and Ezri now on their side. After their recent ordeal, Quark offers to take Ezri back to our universe, but she decides to turn over a new leaf with the Terrans. Suddenly Leeta shows up, much to Rom's delight; however, it is the mirror Leeta, who has never seen him in her life and has been sent to "debrief" Ezri, as the two look seductively at one another. Rom suddenly wants to go home after seeing this, to which Quark and Zek agree wholeheartedly. Memorable Quotes "It looks like Deep Space 9 to me." "I suppose a cargo bay... is a cargo bay, no matter what universe you're in." : - Rom and Quark "'' I can't believe it...Julian just shot Vic Fontaine!" "''I thought Vic was his favorite singer. No wonder they call it the ''alternate universe." : - Quark and Rom "Are you suggesting we go back home?" "It's the smart move." "Do we look smart to you?" : - Quark and Mirror Ezri "I still don't understand why you came here in the first place." "It's simple, really: to open new financial opportunities to the Ferengi people." "In the alternate universe!?" "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time." : - Quark, Zek, and Rom "You shouldn't have killed Brunt." "Isn't it a little late to be developing a conscience?" "I hope not." : - Mirror Ezri and Intendant Kira "This is quite a fascinating place! Don't you agree?" "I... wanna go home." : - Zek and Rom Background Information *This episode is dedicated to the memory of Jerome Bixby, who died shortly before the airing of the episode. He is best known for writing the first mirror universe episode, "Mirror, Mirror", from TOS. *This episode was the last in DS9 to focus on the mirror universe. *This episode marks the death of the mirror Garak. It also marks both the introduction and death of the mirror Vic Fontaine (who only appeared in one scene) and mirror Brunt. *Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) does not appear in this episode. *This is the tenth and final Deep Space Nine episode to be directed by LeVar Burton. *In what would seem to be a continuity error, the Grand Nagus tells Quark that the mirror universe does not have cloaking technology, despite the fact that in "Through the Looking Glass" Alliance ships are seen de-cloaking on screen. Links and References Guest Stars *Andrew J. Robinson as Elim Garak (mirror) *Jeffrey Combs as Brunt (mirror) *Max Grodénchik as Rom *J.G. Hertzler as Martok *Tiny Ron as Maihar'du *Chase Masterson as Leeta (mirror) Special Guest Star *Wallace Shawn as Zek Co-Star *Peter C. Antoniou as Helmsman Uncredited *James Darren as Vic Fontaine (mirror) References Bashir, Julian (mirror); Blessed Exchequer; cloaking device; ''Defiant'' (mirror); Ferengi Alliance; Ferengi shuttle; Fontaine, Vic (mirror); Hupyrian; Ishka; Jadzia Dax (mirror); Kira Nerys (mirror); latinum; Leeta (mirror); multidimensional transporter device; O'Brien, Miles (mirror); Parada; regent; Rest and Relaxation; T'lana; Terok Nor (mirror); Terran Rebellion; Tigan, Ezri (mirror); ulcartic virus; "Vulcan Love Slave, Volume III"; Worf (mirror) |next= }} Emperor's New Cloak, The de:Die Tarnvorrichtung es:The Emperor's New Cloak fr:The Emperor's New Cloak nl:The Emperor's New Cloak